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HISTORY 


SECOND  MASSACHUSETTS  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY, 


BEVERLY  FORD. 


A  PAPER  READ  AT  THE  OFFICERS'  REUNION  IN  BOSTON, 
MAY  12,  1884, 


BY 


DANIEL   OAKEY, 

CAPTAIV   SECOND    MASSACHUSETTS    REGIMENT   OF    INFANTRY. 


BOSTON : 

GEO.  H.  ELLIS,  PRINTED,  141  FRANKLIN  STREET. 
1884. 


. 


HISTORY 


SECOND  MASSACHUSETTS  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY, 


BEVERLY  FORD. 


A  PAPER  READ  AT  THE  OFFICERS'  REUNION  IN  BOSTON, 
MAY  12,  1884, 


BY 


DANIEL  OAKEY, 

ii 

CAPTAIN    SECOND    MASSACHUSETTS    REGIMENT    OF    INFANTRY. 


BOSTON  : 

GEO.  H.  ELLIS,  PRINTER,  141  FRANKLIN  STREET. 
1884. 


-S/ 


BEVERLY     FORD. 

JUNE   9,  1863. 


IN  taking  up  the  thread  of  Captain  George  A.  Thayer's  admira 
ble  chapter  upon  the  Chancellorsville  campaign,  we  find  the  regi 
ment  baling  out  their  old  log  pens,  on  a  dark  night,  in  the  rain. 
They  had  stripped  the  canvas  roofs  before  starting  for  Chancel 
lorsville.  The  return  to  a  deserted  camp,  even  in  fine  weather, 
flushed  with  victory,  is  not  agreeable.  The  failure  of  Chancel 
lorsville  made  the  discomforts  of  this  memorable  night  harder  to 
bear,  and  it  seemed  very  much  like  some  of  the  worst  experiences 
of  the  "Mud  campaign," 

Company  "  D  "  pursued  their  work  with  vigor,  and  sang  with 
the  broadest  sarcasm  "  Home  Again."  This  had  rather  an  en 
livening  effect  upon  some  of  the  other  companies,  who,  up  to  this 
time,  had  been  very  silent.  Daylight  relieved  us  all ;  and,  with 
sunshine  and  regimental  "police,"  the  place  soon  looked  as  if 
nothing  had  happened,  except  for  the  late  absentees,  some  of 
whom  would  return  when  their  wounds  permitted ;  but  others 
would  never  again  draw  their  swords  under  the  old  battle-flag. 
The  scholarly  Fitzgerald,  who  died  so  bravely,  was  the  only  officer 
of  "  ours  "  killed  at  Chancellorsville. 

It  was  at  this  very  camp,  about  a  month  before,  that  the  gallant 
and  lamented  Colonel  Shaw,  then  a  captain  in  our  regiment,  left 
us  to  organize  and  command  that  fated  battalion,  the  "  Fifty- 
fourth  Colored  Massachusetts."  Here,  we  again  formed  a  mess 
with  the  officers  of  the  Third  Wisconsin  ;  and  our  former  caterer, 
Charley  Johnson,  and  his  colored  staff,  managed  the  table  d'hote. 
Those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  present  will  remember 
the  surprise  party  given  to  us  by  the  officers  of  the  Third  Wis 
consin  in  our  canvas  dining-room,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and 
how  it  burst  upon  us  in  all  its  splendor  of  bayonet  chandeliers 


and  unlimited  "  commissary."  Brigade  manoeuvres  and  battalion 
drills  were  diligently  practised;  and,  when  Casey's  tactics  were 
scarcely  dry  from  the  -press,  Colonel  Sam  Qumcy,  with  the  least 
possible  preparation  on  our  part,  "  sprung  "  on  us  the  new  move 
ment  of  "  Forward  on  the  centre  to  form  square  "  at  "  double- 
quick."  And,  I  am  ashamed  to  say,  that,  practised  as  we  were  in 
all  the  tricks  of  field  manoeuvres,  we  "  got  mixed."  The  right 
wing  started  without  delay  for  Falmouth,  the  left  wing  for  Acquia 
Creek,  and  the  color  division  took  a  steady  trot  for  the  camp  of 
the  Tenth  Maine.  Adjutant  Fox  galloped  wildly  about  the  field, 
the  Colonel  howled  in  despair,  but  on  we  went  till  the  word 
"  Halt !  "  brought  us  to  a  stand,  and  we  came  back  and  formed 
line.  The  Colonel  then  made  the  memorable  remark,  "  Gentle 
men  will  please  to  have  some  connection  of  ideas,"  and  started 
the  machine  again  at  full  speed.  This  time  we  melted  into  a 
square  in  a  manner  which  would  have  pleased  General  Andrews. 
From  this  camp,  Colonel  Quincy  resigned,  pretty  well  exhausted 
with  wounds,  exposure,  and  the  trials  of  the  Rebel  prison. 

We  now  moved  camp  —  Major  Mudge  commanding  —  to  a  pine 
grove;  where  we  constructed  quite  a  picturesque  military  village, 
and  became  absorbed  in  the  habits  and  peculiarities  of  the  wood- 
tick.  ' 

The  days  rolled  on  into  June  ;  and  it  seemed  fully  time  to  be 
doing  something  more  about  beating  Lee,  whose  lieutenants  were 
successfully  screening  their  preparations  for  the  coming  Northern 
invasion.  General  Halleck,  General-in-Chief  at  Washington,  was 
still  busily  engaged  telegraphing  to  the  generals  in  the  field ;  and, 
no  doubt,  Hooker  was  hampered  by  these  voluminous  instructions, 
often  so  at  variance  with  his  own  plans,  which  were  apt  to  be 
excellent,  and  he  was  unable  at  times  to  suppress  his  own  domi 
nant  and  rather  insubordinate  spirit. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  Stuart  was  discovered  concentrating  his 
troopers  in  great  force  at  Culpepper.  Mr.  Stuart's  "  Critter-back 
Company  "  was  supposed  to  number  about  twelve  thousand  sabres, 
and  information  obtained  by  General  Buford  showed  that  the 
Rebels  were  preparing  for  a  cavalry  raid  on  a  scale  never  before 
attempted. 

Here  was  an  opportunity  for  the  "  Cavalry  Corps "  which 
Hooker  had  organized;  but,  owing  to  the  wear  and  tear  of  Stone- 
man's  raid,  General  Hooker  thought  our  cavalry  weak  to  cope 


with  the  enemy,  if  their  numbers  as  reported  were  correct.  He 
decided,  however,  to  send  General  Pleasanton  with  all  the  cavalry 
to  attack  Stuart,  "  stiffened,"  as  he  expressed  it,  with  about  five 
thousand  infantry. 

This  "stiffening"  consisted  of  a  few  selected  regiments,  includ 
ing  "ours,"  to  be  divided  equally  between  two  columns  of  cavalry, 
—  one  under  Buford,  with  Ames  to  command  his  infantry,  the  other 
under  Gregg,  with  General  David  Russell  as  infantry  commander. 

The  total  force  of  infantry,  was  probably  not  more  than  three 
thousand,  as  each  regiment  was  thinned  down  by  weeding  out 
every  man  who*  could  not  be  relied  upon  for  a  forced  march. 
The  order  came  on  the  afternoon  of  June  6  to  "  get  ready  in 
light  marching  order  for  a  secret  expedition,  leaving  all  sick  and 
baggage  behind."  The  news  soon  spread  through  camp,  and 
friends  from  other  regiments  came  to  witness  the  departure  of  the 
chosen.  Upon  learning  that  the  Third  Wisconsin  was  not  in 
cluded  in  the  order,  the  enthusiasm  in  the  Second  Massachusetts 
was  considerably  dampened.  "  The  Third  "  was  certain  that 
there  must  be  some  mistake  in  the  transmission  of  the  order. 
These  two  regiments  had  been  brigaded  together  since  the  begin 
ning  of  the  war,  and  had  fought  side  by  side  in  every  action. 
There  was  a  sense  of  mutual  support,  and  a  desire  to  share  equally 
all  the  honors ;  a  strong  feeling  of  pride  in  each  regarding  the 
achievements  of  the  other.  To  us,  it  would  have  been  unnatural 
to  go  into  action  without  the  Third  Wisconsin,  or  at  least  not  to 
know  that  they  were  in  support.  A  hasty  consultation  resulted  in 
sending  an  officer  to  present  the  case  at  head-quarters.  The  chap 
lain's  excellent  mare  was  summarily  pressed  for  the  service ;  and 
our  ambassador,  springing  into  the  clerical  saddle,  shot  away  for 
General  Ruger's  head-quarters.  He  returned  with  an  encouraging 
word  that  the  General  would  see  what  could  be  done. 

The  column  was  already  moving  out  of  camp,  under  the  gaze  of 
a  crowd  of  officers  and  men.  It  seemed  quite  a  family  affair,  as 
we  noticed  the  "  Thirty-third  Massachusetts  "  already  on  the  road 
waiting  for  us,  under  the  fatherly  protection  of  Colonel  Under 
wood,  who  had  been  so  long  a  member  of  "ours"  as  captain  of 
"  the  bloody  I's."  Opinions  were  exchanged  as  to  the  probability 
of  the  Third. Wisconsin  getting  its  orders.  Bets,  of  course,  were 
freely  offered  and  taken  on  the  chances.  Meantime,  we  were 
joined  by  a  battery  of  horse  artillery  and  a  string  of  pack 


mules  carrying  extra  ammunition.  Presently,  a  battalion  appeared 
coming  over  the  hill  at  a  pace  indicating  important  business.  Our 
cheering  was  taken  up  by  the  rest  of  the  column ;  and  the  Third 
Wisconsin  replied  with  wild  howls,  and  quickly  took  their  place  as 
part  of  our  special  brigade. 

After  a  furious  thunder-shower,  which  laid  the  dust,  General 
Ames  gave  the  word  ;  and  the  command  moved  off  at  a  smart 
gait.  The  air  was  cool,  and  every  member  of  the  chosen  band 
was  in  high  spirits.  Even  that  army-trodden  country,  under  the 
circumstances,  and  with  the  influence  of  a  beautiful  sunset, 
looked  fresh  and  picturesque. 

There  was  evidently  a  strong  impression  that  we  were  able- 
bodied  to  the  last  man ;  for  we  skipped  along  for  eight  miles  with 
out  a  halt,  in  a  style  which  impressed  our  cavalry  friends,  whom 
we  found  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  drawn  up  in  a  field  at 
the  roadside,  to  give  us  the  right  of  way.  A  voice  came  from  one 
of  the  saddles,  "  I  say,  boys  !  what  brigade  ?  "  "Ah,  you  recruit !  " 
replied  one  of  the  wits  of  the  regiment :  "  don't  you  know  this 
brigade?  This  is  Gordon's  flying  brigade," — which  was  received 
with  much  merriment.  The  men  were  in  excellent  humor,  ready 
to  bandy  words  with  any  one,  especially  the  cavalry,  whom  they 
began  to  divine  they  were  to  operate  with.  This  elegant  repartee 
.was  kept  up  all  along  the  line.  Occasionally,  officers  exchanged 
greetings,  where  friends  could  make  each  other  out  in  the  dark. 
A  hasty  word  and  shake  of  the  hand  (perhaps  the  last),  and  our 
cavalry  friend  is  left  still  watching  the  column  as  it  marches 
briskly  along.  Another  cavalry  detachment  inquires :  "What's 
your  hurry,  boys  ?  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"We're  going  to  Richmond.  Saddle  up,  you  cowards,  and  come 
along !  "  A  soldier  in  the  next  company,  of  an  inquiring  dispo 
sition,  asks,  "Who  ever  saw  a  dead  cavalry  man  ?" 

We  bivouacked  near  Spotted  Tavern,  about  eleven  o'clock  at 
night;  and,  after  this  lively  march  of  sixteen  miles,  we  were 
allowed  a  comfortable  rest,  while  the  cavalry  occupied  the  road. 

Resuming  our  march  at  ten  o'clock  next  day,  we  reached  Beal- 
ton  about  sunset,  and  were  carefully  concealed  in  the  woods. 
Lighting  of  fires  was  absolutely  forbidden ;  and,  as  the  night 
closed  in  upon  us,  the  staff  remained  in  the  saddle,  stationed  at 
different  points,  silently  watching  us  ;  and,  as  morning  came  again, 
there  they  were  still  on  the  watch. 


5 

Meantime,  General  Russell  had  marched  his  infantry  to  Hart- 
wood  Church,  and  thence  to  a  point  near  Kelly's  Ford,  where 
General  Gregg  was  concentrating  two  divisions  of  cavalry. 

The  night  of  the  8th,  we  moved  down  very  near  Beverly  Ford 
into  the  woods  again, —  cold  suppers  and  no  lights.  The  men 
were  exceedingly  restless  at  these  unusual  orders  about  light  and 
noise.  In  a  letter  from  one  of  my  men  since  the  war,  he  says  : 
"The,  men  thought  we  were  being  humbugged,  and  there  were 
many  signs  of  dissatisfaction.  They  complained  because  we  were 
not  allowed  to  have  fires.  Dave  Orne  was  punished  (ordered  to 
stand  at  attention)  by  you,  for  snapping  a  cap  upon  his  gun.  It 
was  exceedingly  galling  to  his  soldierly  pride,  as  it  was  the  only 
time  he  was  punished  during  his  term  of  service.  Hyde  was 
particularly  insubordinate ;  and  you  were  placed  in  arrest,  be 
cause  Company  '  D  '  was  so  disorderly." 

I  remember  this  very  well,  and  my  servant  standing  at  a  re 
spectful  distance,  holding  my  sabre  while  I  was  under  this  tempo 
rary  cloud.  The  gallant  commander  of  the  "  Irish  Brigade,"  as 
we  called  Company  "H,"  shared  the  cloud  with  me;  for  he  was 
placed  in  arrest  at  the  same  time.  Our  sabres,  however,  were 
returned  to  us  before  we  got  into  the  fight ;  and,  in  the  evening 
bivouac,  our  commander  made  us  a  most  graceful  apology  over  a 
tin  mug  of  "commissary." 

Buford's  whole  column  was  now  concealed  in  the  woods.  The 
cheerful  clank  and  jingle  of  the  cavalry  was,  by  some  means, 
suppressed  ;  there  was  no  merry  bugle  breaking  upon  the  still 
hours  of  the  night ;  and,  as  the  moon  threw  deep  shadows  across 
the  quiet  country  road,  there  seemed  no  trace  of  "grim-visaged 
war." 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Captain  Comey,  with  thirty 
picked  men  from  the  Second  Massachusetts,  crept  down  to  the 
river-bank,  to  see  that  all  was  clear  for  the  advance.  He  reported 
a  large  force  of  cavalry  in  bivouac  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
quite  unconscious  of  Buford's  stealthy  approach.  Indeed,  Jones' 
Rebel  cavalry  brigade  was  only  a  short  distance  from  the  Ford, 
while  his  wagons  and  artillery  were  parked  even  nearer  to  the 
river.  Fitz  Hugh  Lee,  Robertson,  and  W.  H.  F.  Lee  were  in 
bivouac  at  various  points  within  supporting  distance  of  Jones; 
while  Wade  Hampton  was  passing  the  night  in  picturesque  reserve 
at  Fleetwood  Hill. 


The  spot  was  admirably  adapted  for  a  cavalry  battle,  the 
country  rolling  along,  with  an  occasional  cjump  of  woods  and  fine 
open  fields,  toward  Brandy  Station,  where  the  Rebel  cavalry- 
chief,  Stuart,  had  pitched  his  head-quarters. 

The  close  proximity  of  Stu-art's  troopers  was  a  little  unexpected. 
Their  movement  to  Beverly  Ford,  it  seems,  was  simultaneous  with 
our  own. 

The  plan  was  to  have  the  enemy  remain  somewhere  near  Cul- 
pepper,  while  Gregg's  column  advanced  from  Kelly's  Ford,  and 
Buford's  from  Beverly  Ford,  the  first  bearing  to  the  left,  the  latter 
to  the  right,  the  two  columns  to  form  a  junction  near  Brandy 
Station.  General  Pleasanton  then,  having  our  entire  force  well 
in  hand,  would  make  a  determined  attack  upon  Stuart's  squadrons. 
But  it  is  the  unexpected  which  must  be  looked  for  in  war,  and 
the  necessary  tactics  were  quickly  decided  upon. 

Nearly  the  whole  of  Stuart's  force  was  in  our  immediate  front ; 
but  they  would  be  exposed  to  the  disadvantage  of  a  surprise,  and, 
having  no  infantry  with  them,  our  little  brigade  of  rifles  would  be 
doubly  effective. 

General  Pleasanton  would  be  unable  to  control  and  harmonize 
the  movements  of  his  two  columns,  being  completely  cut  off  from 
General  Gregg  ;  but  the  latter  was  so  well  known  as  an  able  com 
mander  and  a  hard  fighter  that  the  enemy  was  certain  to  be  treated 
again  to  a  surprise  in  flank  and  rear,  and  would  be  thus  diverted 
from  our  front.  And  it  seemed  as  if  we  might  still  succeed  in 
breaking  up  the  enemy's  cavalry. 

The  situation  had  its  advantages,  in  spite  of  the  opinion  of 
some  distinguished  cavalry  men  ;  and  "  Forward  !  "  was  the  word. 

As  the  hazy  June  morning  dawned  upon  us,  troopers  appeared 
to  rise  out  of  the  ground  and  swarm  out  of  the  woods,  till  the 
whole  country  seemed  alive  with  cavalry :  and  Ames'  picked 
rifles  took  their  place  in  the  column. 

The  early  morning  mist,  hanging  upon  the  river  banks,  con 
cealed  our  approach. 

"  In  both  our  armies,  there  is  many  a  soul 
Shall  pay  full  dearly  for  this  encounter, 
If  once  they  join  in  trial." 

The  gallant  and  lamented  Colonel  Davis  led    the  way  with  the 
Eighth  New  York  Cavalry,  dashing  over  the  Ford  and  surprising 


7' 

the  enemy's  pickets,  who  fell  back  upon  Jones'  exposed  artillery 
and  wagons. 

The  Rebels  were  panic-stricken  at  the  sudden  approach  of  the 
"  Yankee  "  cavalry  ;  and  great  confusion  ensued.  But  the  alarm 
quickly  spread,  and  part  of  Jones'  troopers  were  soon  in  the 
saddle,  charging  furiously  down  upon  the  Eighth  New  York,  who 
broke  ;  and,  before  Colonel  Davis  could  turn  to  rally  his  leading 
regiment,  a  Rebel  soldier  sprang  from  behind  a  tree  and  shot  him 
dead.  •  But  the  avenging  sabre  of  Lieutenant  Parsons  (Davis' 
adjutant)  severed  the  poor  fellow's  connection  with  this  life. 

Colonel  Davis   was   a    serious  loss  to  the  "  Cavalry  Corps,"- 
a  graduate  of  West  Point,  an  accomplished    officer,  a   universal 
favorite, —  and,  although  a  Southerner,  he  stuck  to  the  flag  he  had 
sworn  to  defend. 

Meantime,  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry  had  gained  the  southern 
bank,  and  rushed  upon  Jones'  people,  driving  them  back  upon 
the  main  body,  who  were  forming  in  the  rear  of  a  bit  of  wood. 
Colonel  Davis  was  borne  back  in  a  blanket  as  General  Pleasanton, 
who  had  accompanied  our  column  in  person,  arrived  at  the  river 
bank. 

The  Third  Indiana  Cavalry  followed  the  Eighth  Illinois  ;  and 
Ames'  men  were  now  crossing  under  the  eye  of  the  distinguished 
group  of  horsemen,  to  one  of  whom  (Colonel  F.  C.  Newhall, 
afterward  of  Sheridan's  staff)  I  am  indebted  for  the  following 
description  :  — 

General  Buford  was  there,  with  his  usual  smile.  He  rode  a  gray 
horse,  at  a  slow  walk  generally,  and  smoked  a  pipe,  no  matter  what  was 
going  on  around  him:  and  it  was  always  reassuring  to  see  him  in  the 
saddle  when  there  was  any  chance  of  a  fight. 

General  Pleasanton's  staff  was  partly  composed  of  men  who  became 
distinguished.  The  Adjutant  General  was  A.  J.  Alexander,  of  Ken 
tucky,  a  very  handsome  fellow,  who  was  afterward  a  Brigadier  General 
with  Thomas,  in  the  West.  Among  the  aides  was  Captain  Farnsworth, 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  who  so  distinguished  himself  in  the  coming 
battle,  and  in  the  subsequent  operations  south  of  the  Potomac,  that  he 
was  made  a  Brigadier  General,  and  with  that  rank  fell  at  Gettysburg, 
at  the  head  of  a  brigade  of  cavalry  which  he  had  commanded  but  a  few 
days.  Another  aide  was  the  brilliant  Custer,  then  a  lieutenant,  whose 
career  and  lamented  death  there  is  no  need  to  recall.  Another  was 
Lieutenant  R.  S.  McKenzie,  of  the  engineers,  now  General  McKenzie 
of  well-won  fame,  the  youngest  colonel  of  the  regular  army ;  and  still 


8 

another  was  Ulric  Dahlgren.     General  Pleasanton  had  certainly  no  lack 
of  intelligence,  dash,  and  hard-riding  to  rely  on  in  those  about  him. 

The  infantry  had  now  cleared  the  woods  of  the  enemy's 
troopers,  who  were  deceived  as  to  the  number  of  our  rifles,  and 
showed  no  inclination  to  expose  men  and  horses  to  the  deadly 
fire  of  experienced  infantry  skirmishers. 

The  old,  time-honored  Second  Dragoons, '  the  Fifth  Regulars, 
and  that  crack  young  regiment,  the  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry 
(forming  what  was  known  as  the  "Reserve  Brigade  "),  were 'mass 
ing  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river.  The  sharp  report  of  in 
fantry  rifles,  the  rising  smoke,  and  the  thousand  indescribable 
sounds,  with  the  tramp  of  fresh  cavalry  pressing  forward  to  take 
their  part  in  the  fray,  showed  that  the  battle  was  now  waging  in 
good  earnest.  The  wounded  arrived  more  rapidly  at  the  ford, 
stretcher-bearers  plying  their  trade  in  the  hot  sun. 

The  soft,  dewy  grass  of  the  morning  was  now  kicked  and 
trampled  into  dry  dust.  The  infantry  held  the  enemy  in  the  open 
space  beyond  the  woods ;  while  Buford  hurled  his  squadrons,  with 
drawn  sabres,  upon  the  Rebel  cavalry  on  the  right  and  left. 

A  sabre  charge,  with  both  sides  going  at  top  speed,  is,  perhaps, 
the  most  exciting  and  picturesque  combination  of  force,  nerve, 
and  courage  that  can  be  imagined.  The  commanding  officers 
leading  in  conspicuous  advance  ;  the  rush,  the  thunder  of  horses' 
hoofs  ;  the  rattle  of  arms  and  equipments, —  all  mingling  with  the 
roar  of  voices,  while  the  space  rapidly  lessens  between  the  ap 
proaching  squadrons.  The  commanders  who  were  seen,  a  mo 
ment  before,  splendidly  mounted,  dashing  on  at  racing  speed, 
turning  in  the  saddle  to  look  back  at  the  tidal  wave  which  they 
are  leading,  disappear  in  a  cloud  of  sabres,  clashing  and  cutting; 
but  the  fight  is  partly  obscured  by  the  rising  dust  and  the  mist 
from  the  over-heated  animals.  Riderless  horses  come,  wounded 
and  trembling,  out  of  the  melee  ;  others  appear,  running  in  fright, 
carrying  dying  troopers  still  sitting  their  chargers,  the  head  droop 
ing  on  the  breast,  the  sword-arm  hanging  lifeless,  the  blood-stained 
sabre  dangling  from  the  wrist,  tossing,  swinging,  and  cutting  the 
poor  animal's  flanks,  goading  him  on  in  his  aimless  flight.  In 
this  moment  of  intense  excitement,  the  Rebels  give  way  on  the 
left.  Our  troopers  follow  in  hot  pursuit.  On  they  go,  over  the 
dead  and  dying.  At  the  sound  of  the  "  recall,"  back  they  come, 
to  take  breath  and  re-form  at  the  rallying  ground  to  which  Ames' 


skirmishers  move  forward,  to  regain  their  connection  and  establish 
a  more  advanced  line  of  battle.  Although  the  infantry  occupied 
the  centre  of  the  line,  their  operations  were  not  confined  to  this 
point.  They  were  sent  in  small  detachments  to  different  parts  of 
the  field,  to  support  artillery,  and,  at  times,  even  to  engage  the 
enemy,  when  opportunity  offered.  The  line  officers  bore  a 
thorough  test  of  their  experience  and  training  during  a  day  of 
perpetual  activity. 

The  "  Reserve  Brigade  "  had  gone  into  action.  There  were  to 
be  no  fresh  troops  in  waiting.  Every  one  was  needed  at  the 
front. 

The  Rebels  made  desperate  attempts  to  capture  the  ford,  and 
pressed  us  hard  on  the  right.  This  part  of  our  line  made  little 
progress,  and  was  forced  at  times  to  assume  simply  the  defensive. 

Two  squadrons  of  the  Second  Dragoons  were  withdrawn  to 
assist  in  covering  the  approaches  to  the  ford. 

The  Rebels  made  another  desperate  charge.  It  seemed,  this 
time,  as  if  they  would  carry  all  before  them.  But  we  stood  our 
ground,  and  opened  on  them  at  close  quarters  with  the  guns ;  and 
Ames'  men  plied  their  rifles,  making  every  bullet  tell.  The 
enemy  lost  heavily,  and  came  to  a  stand.  The  Dragoons  dropped 
their  carbines,  and,  drawing  sabres,  rushed  upon  them,  driving 
them  off  in  confusion. 

It  was  hot  work  all  along  the  line ;  and,  although  our  cavalry 
suffered  severely  at  times,  nothing  could  surpass  their  gallant 
conduct. 

The  Sixth  Pennsylvania,  in  charging  the  enemy  near  St.  James' 
Church,  were  badly  punished  by  the  Rebel  artillery,  and  had  to 
withdraw  with  heavy  loss  of  officers,  men,  and  horses.  Their 
gallant  commander,  Major  Morris,  whose  horse  fell  upon  him, 
was  left  a  prisoner  in  the  enemy's  hands..  The  Second  Dragoons 
also  suffered  severely  at  this  point. 

Much  to  our  relief,  the  enemy  now  appeared  to  be  attacked  in 
the  rear,  as  they  made  no  further  attempt  to  capture  the  ford,  and 
the  force  in  our  front  was  evidently  reduced. 

•  A  Rebel  battery  now  opened  from  a  bit  of  woods  about  six 
hundred  yards  in  front,  while  we  were  making  disposition  to 
advance  our  right,  and  our  'guns  unlimbered  upon  a  knoll  in  the 
open  fields  in  front  and  to  the  right  of  the  ford ;  and  a  lively  can 
nonade  ensued.  I  was  skirmishing  nearer  to  the  centre  of  the 


10 

line  with  my  own  company  and  Company  "  F,"  the  latter  under 
command  of  Captain,  then  Lieutenant,  Parker,  and  was  ordered 
with  these  two  companies  to  support  the  guns  on  the  knoll.  On 
the  way,  I  was  joined  by  Colonel,  then  Captain,  Stevenson  of  the 
Third  Wisconsin,  who  had  been  ordered  to  the  same  duty.  Gen 
eral  Buford  and  some  staff  officers  were  standing  near  the  guns, 
their  horses  awaiting  them  in  the  rear,  where  the  artillery  horses 
had  taken  refuge. 

Part  of  the  Tenth  Virginia  Cavalry  were  on  foot  behind  a 
stone  wall  down  in  the  open  fields  in  front;  and  they  endeav 
ored  to  interfere  with  us  as  much  as  possible  while  we  were 
posting  Lieutenant  Parker  with  two  men  as  a  "  lookout "  to 
apprise  us  of  any  movement  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  They  had 
already  annoyed  our  artillery  very  much,  popping  at  them  with 
their  carbines. 

Captain  Stevenson  and  I  lay  down  with  our  companies  in  the 
usual  position  of  artillery  supports,  about  thirty  yards  in  rear, 
while  our  guns  belched  forth  their  fire  and  smoke,  and  the 
enemy's  shells  came  howling  overhead  and  bursting  behind  us 
with  that  spiteful,  sharp,  clean-cut  bang  which  we  used  to  know  so 
well. 

Having  nothing  to  do  as  yet  but  smoke  our  pipes,  we  lolled  on 
the  grass  and  studied  our  cavalry  friends.  Custer  was  the  most 
striking  figure  in  the  group,  with  his  fanciful  uniform,  his  long 
hair,  and  spirited  manner.  He  seemed  to  enjoy  the  shelling,  and 
appeared  to  beam  all  over,  almost  dancing  with  excitement. 

Other  staff  officers  arrived  from  time  to  time,  and,  plunging  into 
the  group,  on  their  reeking  horses,  spoke  to  General  Buford,  and 
then  dashed  away  again.  The  fight  seemed  still  going  on  in  the 
centre  and  on  the  left,  which  had  advanced  considerably ;  but  our 
view  was  somewhat  obstructed  by  clumps  of  woods. 

General  Buford,  whom  we  had  never  seen  before,  impressed  us 
with  his  commanding  presence  and  his  manly  and  picturesque 
simplicity  of  dress.  He  looked  as  if  his  division  might  idolize 
him,  as  it  was  said  they  did.  He  seemed  much  annoyed  at  the 
Tenth  Virginia  Cavalry  behind  the  wall,  and  at  last  summoned 
the  commander  of  the  infantry  supports.  Although  Stevenson 
commanded,  he  wished  me  to  assist  at  the  audience ;  and  we  were 
at  the  General's  side  in  a  moment,  looking  over  the  guns  at  the 
surrounding  country. 


II 

"  Do  you  see  those  people  down  there  ?  "  says  Buford  :  "  they've 
got  to  be  driven  out.  Do  you  think  you  can  do  it  ? " 

We  looked  up  and  down  the  line,  and  rested  our  gaze  upon  a 
wheat-field  on  the  left  of  the  stone  wall  (the  enemy's  right). 

"  It's  about  double  our  force,"  says  Stevenson. 

"Fully  that,"  I  replied,  "  if  not  more." 

We  looked  again  at  the  wheat-field,  for  that  was  the  key  to 
the  position.  Something  was  said  about  "flanking"  and  "enfi 
lading  'em." 

"  Mind,"  said  the  General,  "I  don't  order  you  ;  but,  if  you  think 
you  can  do  it,  go  in." 

We  thought  we  could.  It  would  hardly  do  to  back  out  in  the 
presence  of  so  distinguished  a  cavalry  audience,  if  there  was  a 
chance  of  success.  A  number  of  the  staff  had  gathered  round 
to  hear  our  conversation,  and  showed  a  great  deal  of  interest  at 
the  prospect  of  a  little  "side  show,"  at  which  they  would  have 
orchestra  chairs,  front  row. 

The  General,  with  this  group  around  him,  was  drawing  the  fire 
of  the  stone  wall  people,  and  was  urged  to  keep  out  of  range, 
while  the  rest  of  us  scattered  to  less  dangerous  positions.  Some 
of  the  staff  came  back  and  watched  the  men  "fall  in,"  as  if  to 
see  us  off.  Custer  showed  much  interest,  and  evidently  would 
have  enjoyed  going  with  us. 

We  struck  back  into  the  country,  and  took  a  circuitous  route 
behind  hedges  and  through  corn-fields,  Stevenson  and  myself  run 
ning  on  together,  and  the  men  following  with  their  rifles  as  low  as 
possible,  and  crouching  along  to  avoid  attracting  any  notice. 

We  planned  the  attack  as  we  went  along,  instructing  sergeants, 
who  in  turn  fell  back  and  gave  orders  to  the  men.  Upon  arriving 
at  the  wheat-field,  we  all  hugged  the  ground.  Ten  picked  marks 
men  now  crawled  forward  with  me  into  the  wheat,  while  Captain 
Stevenson  deployed  the  rest  of  the  men  into  as  long  a  skirmish 
line  as  their  numbers  would  permit. 

We  despatched  a  messenger  to  notify  Lieutenant  Parker,  whom 
we  had  left  near  the  guns,  to  join  us  at  once.  In  justice  to  Parker, 
I  must  say  that  he  hated  to  be  left  out  of  a  fight. 

The  ten  marksmen  crawled  on  through  the  wheat,  till  they  were 
almost  "  on  the  end "  of  the  enemy's  line  ;  and  then,  crowding 
together  so  as  to  rake  the  line,  they  fired  at  the  signal,  with  ter 
rible  accuracy. 


12 

The  Rebels  were  completely  surprised,  but  turned  and  delivered 
a  scattering  fire.  My  excellent  Sergeant  Nutting  fell  into  my 
arms  mortally  wounded.  He  was  all  pluck  to  the  last  moment. 
Although  he  could  not  speak,  he  showed  signs  of  wishing  to  bid 
us  good-by,  and  was  evidently  gratified  at  the  manner  in  which  we 
tenderly  shook  him  by  the  hand.  It  was  a  success  for  the  com 
pany,  but  the  men  all  seemed  to  share  my  own  feeling  that  it  was 
dearly  bought  at  such  a  price. 

Meantime,  Captain  Stevenson  was  advancing  through  the  wheat ; 
and,  as  soon  as  my  party  fired,  he  began  making  noise  enough  for 
two  regiments.  We  sprang  over  the  fence  into  the  open  field  ; 
and  there  we  found  Lieutenant  Parker  standing  on  the  stone  wall, 
pistol  in  hand,  with  his  two  men  and  the  messenger,  demanding 
"  unconditional  surrender." 

We  could  not  help  being  amused  at  Parker's  sudden  appear 
ance  ;  but  he  explained  that  he  was  afraid  that  he  would  be  too 
late,  and  so  "charged  the  stone  wall  in  front,  and  took  the 
chances." 

Stevenson's  men  were  coming  over  the  fence  all  the  way  down 
the  wheat;  and  the  enemy,  utterly  deceived  as  to  our  numbers, 
had  already  commenced  dropping  their  weapons  and  giving  them 
selves  up.  We  hurried  them  off  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  gave 
all  the  care  we  could  to  the  wounded.  Some  of  the  Rebels  at  the 
other  end  of  the  wall  tried  to  escape  ;  but  Stevenson  had  swung 
his  line  round  so  promptly  that  he  covered  them  at  short  range, 
and  persuaded  the  runaways  to  come  in.  Having  killed,  wounded, 
and  captured  the  entire  party,  we  retired  to  a  rising  ground  to  the 
left  of  our  own  guns,  and  covered  the  approaches  to  the  stone 
wall  by  posting  some  sharp-shooters  with  their  pieces  sighted  at 
three  hundred  yards.  At  this  distance,  two  of  the  enemy's  dis 
mounted  troopers  were  killed.  This  seemed  to  be  sufficient  warn 
ing  to  the  rest,  who  made  no  further  attempt  to  occupy  the  stone 
wall. 

General  Buford  now  advanced  the  right  of  the  line,  and  pressed 
forward,  driving  the  enemy's  cavalry  before  him  toward  Fleetwood 
Hill.  General  Gregg,  who  had  relieved  us  at  such  a  critical 
moment  by  diverting  the  enemy  from  our  front,  had  crossed 
Kelly's  Ford  at  daylight  with  little  opposition,  and  left  General 
Russell  with  his  infantry  to  guard  the  lower  fords. 

Colonel  Duffie's  division  was  sent  to  Stevensburg,  where  they 


13 

encountered  the  enemy,  and  drove  them  through  and  beyond  the 
town,  with  our  friends  of  the  First  Massachusetts  Cavalry  in  the 
advance ;  and  here  Colonel  Duffie  remained,  according  to  the 
original  plan. 

General  Gregg  pushed  on  toward  Brandy  Station  with  Kilpat- 
rick's  and  Windham's  brigades.  The  latter  attacked  the  Rebel 
cavalry  so  promptly  that  they  were  scarcely  ready  for  him. 
Stuart's  head-quarters  were  captured  and  important  despatches 
fell  into  our  hands,  with  valuable  information  as  to  the  enemy's 
plans.  Windham  and  Kilpatrick  were  both  hotly  engaged  as 
troops  were  withdrawn  from  Buford's  front  to  resist  them. 

Gregg's  people  fought  hard,  charging  repeatedly  with  the  sabre, 
and  gradually  gaining  the  crest  of  Fleetwood  Hill.  The  Sixth 
New  York  Light  Battery  did  their  full  share  of  work. 

More  troops  were  withdrawn  from  Buford's  front;  and,  at  last, 
General  Gregg,  finding  himself  overmatched,  withdrew  to  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  leaving  two  guns  in  the  enemy's  hands.  Colonel  H.  S. 
Thomas  describes  the  cannoneers  reluctantly  obeying  the  order  to 
leave  the  guns,  some  of  the  men  actually  shedding  tears. 

Meanwhile,  General  Buford  continued  to  push  the  enemy  toward 
Fleetwood,  and  again  the  Rebels  began  to  resist  us  more  stub 
bornly.  Both  sides  charged  repeatedly  with  the  sabre,  and  at 
times  dismounted  to  fight  behind  stone  walls,  Ames'  rifles  making 
themselves  generally  useful  at  various  points  in  the  field. 

In  one  very  spirited  charge  of  the  Second  Dragoons,  General 
Merritt,  then  a  captain,  rode  impetuously  on,  not  hearing  the 
recall,  followed  by  Lieutenant  Quirk.  He  noticed  a  prominent 
Rebel  officer,  and,  riding  toward  him,  bringing  his  sabre  to  a 
point,  he  innocently  remarked,  "  Colonel,  you  are  my  prisoner  !  " 
The  officer  made  a  cut  at  his  head :  Merritt,  dexterously  parrying 
the  cut,  only  lost  his  hat.  His  opponent  turned  out  to  be  Colonel, 
afterward,  General  Wade  Hampton.  Lieutenant  Quirk  called  out 
to  Merritt,  "We're  surrounded!"  and,  sure  enough,  a  Rebel  ring 
had  formed  to  see  the  "  Yankee "  officer  brought  down.  But 
Merritt  and  Quirk  had  not  been  taught  to  ride  for  nothing,  and 
galloped  safely  back  into  our  lines,  amid  a  shower  of  pistol 
bullets. 

General  Rodenbough,  then  a  captain,  and  many  others  of  the 
cavalry,  had  personal  encounters,  in  which  they  proved  themselves 
to  be  excellent  swordsmen. 


14 

As  our  two  columns  drew  nearer  together,  both  aiming  for 
Fleetwood  Hill,  the  junction  was  at  last  accomplished ;  and 
General  Gregg  rode  into  our  lines,  reporting  a  heavy  force  of 
Rebel  infantry  pouring  into  Brandy  Station  from  Culpepper  by 
rail. 

General  Pleasanton  not  caring  to  encounter  the  Rebel  infantry, 
especially  after  a  day  of  such  hard  pounding,  ordered  General 
Gregg  to  withdraw  by  way  of  Rappahannock  Station ;  and  Colonel 
Newhall  was  sent  to  tell  Buford  to  stop  fighting,  and  go  home  by 
way  of  Beverly  Ford. 

The  operation  of  withdrawal  was  accomplished  without  inter 
ference,  the  enemy  contenting  themselves  with  looking  on  from  a 
respectful  distance.  As  we  approached  Beverly  Ford,  the  First 
Regular  Cavalry  turned  up,  eager  for  the  fray.  They  had  been  off 
on  some  detached  duty  and  were  too  late  for  any  of  the  fun,  so 
General  Pleasanton  had  them  all  deployed  as  mounted  skirmishers 
to  cover  the  crossing  of  the  troops. 

The  scene  at  the  ford  was  very  picturesque.  A  lovely  sunset 
shed  its  cool  light  over  the  long  columns  of  cavalry  winding  their 
way  toward  the  river,  and  the  mounted  skirmishers  were  thrown  in 
bold  relief  against  the  brilliant  sky. 

Captain  Comey  took  his  old  position  again,  with  his  little  band 
of  thirty  men,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  and  remained  there 
till  morning,  when  he  rejoined  the  regiment. 

Our  bivouac  the  night  of  the  battle  was  unusually  cheerful,  for 
we  had  brought  every  officer  of  "  ours  "  safely  out  of  the  fight 
alive  and  well.  Even  Captain  Frank  Crowninshield,  who  gener 
ally  got  a  bullet  into  him  somewhere,  came  off,  like  the  Irishman 
at  the  fair,  with  only  a  hole  in  the  crown  of  his  hat. 

Many  a  fence  rail  was  burned  to  give  light  to  the  conference 
which  was  held  over  the  events  of  the  day.  We  had  been  so 
separated  during  the  fight  that  the  experiences  of  each  one  had  to 
be  presented  to  the  assemblage  in  turn ;  and,  with  the  assistance  of 
some  of  the  Third  Wisconsin  officers,  the  comparing  of  notes  was 
extended  far  into  the  night. 

Our  forces  had  gained  all  they  set  out  to  accomplish.  The 
momentous  cavalry  schemes  of  the  enemy  were  frustrated,  and 
their  troopers  had  been  severely  punished  by  cavalry  which  they 
had  always  considered  inferior  to  their  own. 

The  disheartening  effect  throughout  the   Confederacy  may  be 


f 


15 

guessed  by  the  following  extract  from  a  diary  kept  by  Mr.  I.  I). 
Jones,  the  Rebel  War  Clerk  at  Richmond  :  — 

» 

June  12. —  The  surprise  of  Stuart  on  the  Rappahannock  has  chilled 
every  heart,  notwithstanding  it  does  not  appear  that  we  lost  more  than 
the  enemy  in  the  encounter.  The  question  is  on  every  tongue,  Have  our 
generals  relaxed  in  vigilance  ?  If  so,  sad  is  the  prospect. 

After  the  long  period  of  mismanagement,  disaster,  sacrifice, 
blood,  and  tears  through  which  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had 
passed,  with  steadiness  of  purpose  and  undaunted  courage  which 
has  never  been  surpassed,  the  turning-point  came,  at  last,  in  the 
brilliant  conflict  at  Beverly  Ford,  or  "  Fleetwood,"  as  the  Rebel 
chief,  Stuart,  called  it. 

It  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  enemy's  cavalry  at  the  right  mo 
ment,  and  was  productive  of  -important  results,  being  followed  by 
Pleasanton  in  the  battles  of  Aldie,  Middleburg,  and  Upperville, 
holding  Stuart  in  'check  and  keeping  Hooker  fully  informed  as  to 
the  movements  of  the  enemy ;  while  General  Lee  was  in  constant 
anxiety  and  in  want  of  information  during  his  march  up  the 
Cumberland  Valley  and,  in  fact,  during  the  whole  of  the  Gettys 
burg  campaign.  On  the  2yth  o£  June,  General  Hooker  requested 
to  be  relieved,  and  General  Mead  assumed  command  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac. 

This  change  of  commanders  was  accomplished  while  the  two 
great  armies  were  in  motion.  There  was  no  excitement  over  it. 
The  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  not  very  sorry  to  part  with  General 
Hooker,  nor  specially  pleased  to  be  commanded  by  Mead.  On 
the  whole,  they  had  more  confidence  in  the  latter  ;  but  the  main 
object  was  to  beat  Lee. 


Gaylord  Bro*., 

Stockton,  Calif. 
T   M.  Reg. U.S.Pat.  Of 


re  51065 


M17Q558     ,51 


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